The Pledge of Allegiance was first written in 1892 for a magazine
contest, and it read: "I Pledge Allegiance to my Flag and the Republic
for which it stands; one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice
for all." The Pledge became part of the US Flag Code in 1942, and in
1954 President Eisenhower and Congress added the phrase "under God” into
the Pledge.

Proponents of including "under God” in the Pledge argue that the US
is a Christian nation, at least 80% of Americans support the phrase, the
language reflects America’s civic culture and is not a religious
statement, and federal law, state constitutions, currency, and the
presidential oath already contain references to God.

Opponents contend that church and state should be kept strictly
separate as the Founding Fathers intended. They argue that the
Constitution protects minority rights against majority will, and that
the words "under God" in the Pledge are a religious phrase and thus
violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

I'd be interested in the opinions of those from all religious backgrounds - Christians, Scientology, Jewish, Pagans, etc. I'm certain Atheists would like to see the phrase removed.

Do you believe the words "under God" should be included or removed from the Pledge of Allegiance? Why or why not?

I personally would leave the words in the official pledge, but let people decide whether to say it or not when they recite the Pledge. The Pledge is covered under the First Amendment, so people can recite the Pledge as they wish without repercussions, whether by adding a line, or by omitting the phrase "under God."

The "America is a Christian nation in terms of politics" argument can also be thrown out, since the same part of the Constitution that gives people the freedom to recite the Pledge as they wish also bars Congress from picking an official religion or decrying a religion. Demographically speaking, America is majorly Christian because so many people are Christians, but legislatively speaking, it's nonreligious.

TL,DR: Leave the line in question in the Pledge, but give people the right to decide whether to say it or not. The Constitution is okay with either choice.

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation." From this nation's founding document The Declaration of Independence,July 4, 1776..

As basicly a Christian country I would think that most would be proud of it but we have allowed ourselfes to be over run with athiests and muslims in the past few years and many feel the need to be politically correct! I don't.

If the Liberals remove God from it, I will continue to pledge One nation under God and will have it painted on my Car as well.

Do you all see what is happening? Liberals are attacking Religious Liberty like Obama and the Democrats and Atheist move to remove Crosses from Hills.

Communist when they took over in 1917 attacked all religion and removed God, In China they banned God and now the Marxist Democrat Party is up to it again along with the ACLU who by the way was founded by a Communist.

Just another step in their move toward a Godless Society.

They fear God that is why they want God removed because their Conscience, they can't hide from and they believe that by removing the name God, and all references to god that they don't have to be accountable to a God. THINK AGAIN ATHEIST AND DEMOCRATS

I use to be an Atheist so I know their thinking! And you liberals who want to remove God, even if you do it will be fore a short time because you will see him some day anyway either as Lord or as Judge that is you're choice.

MARK MY WORDS, If they remove In God we Trust, I will have a stamp waiting for Every Dollar Bill that I see and it will be stamped in Black INK IN GOD WE TRUST, You think you can remove GOD< Think again because as long as there are people who believe in him we...

If the Liberals remove God from it, I will continue to pledge One nation under God and will have it painted on my Car as well.

Do you all see what is happening? Liberals are attacking Religious Liberty like Obama and the Democrats and Atheist move to remove Crosses from Hills.

Communist when they took over in 1917 attacked all religion and removed God, In China they banned God and now the Marxist Democrat Party is up to it again along with the ACLU who by the way was founded by a Communist.

Just another step in their move toward a Godless Society.

They fear God that is why they want God removed because their Conscience, they can't hide from and they believe that by removing the name God, and all references to god that they don't have to be accountable to a God. THINK AGAIN ATHEIST AND DEMOCRATS

I use to be an Atheist so I know their thinking! And you liberals who want to remove God, even if you do it will be fore a short time because you will see him some day anyway either as Lord or as Judge that is you're choice.

MARK MY WORDS, If they remove In God we Trust, I will have a stamp waiting for Every Dollar Bill that I see and it will be stamped in Black INK IN GOD WE TRUST, You think you can remove GOD< Think again because as long as there are people who believe in him we will mention his name.

This is the beginning of a total NEW Anti GOD America and Obama is trying to destroy the Constitution it is the only thing says the European Common Market that prevents them from forming a One World Government.

Don't worry.... We who believe in God and serve him will be gone shortly Don't know the day or hour but it's coming

If you want to say it fine but it wasn't added in the first versions for a reason it's meant to represent everyone now the pledge doesn't so why dont you guys stop pushing religion where it doesn't belong.

It was created as a pledge of alliegence that represented the loyalty of all citizens not just those who believe in one god. The reason people didn't use to get insulted by it was because there was nothing insulting about it. Not putting under god in the official wording forces nothing on any group and adding under god on an individual level was allowed if the speaker so wished now in order to fully state the pledge over twenty percent of our citizens would have to go against their own personal beliefs. For you that would be like me putting in under Satan or Allah or Odin I'm sure you're against all those being added even if you didn't have to say them.

It used to be when immigrants came here they didn't whine about everything that was being done before they came. It has been said that way for fifty years Why wait all this time to complain? If it is so bad. Can't people just substitue their god? leave it alone.

My family has been here since the 1765 so not any more an immigrant then you and in all likelihood mine has been here longer and going against what you deem wrong is the American way and people have been going against this since the day the idiots put it in and thats not the point it's not just that the official writing is push "one god" into it it's involving religion that's wrong period.

I got detention from a teacher once for not saying the pledge, because I'm atheist and refuse to say those to words. According to the Pledge, I'm not a true American, because I don't believe we're 'under God'

I'm a Christian, but this is one of the few, clearly unconstitutional attempts on the part of Congress to 'establish' religion. The term 'God' represents a/The Deity, and Congress is expressly forbidden by the Constitution from "making laws with respect to the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

CONGRESS shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

Essentially, the framers were of the sentiment that the legislative branch of government should take NO position on religion at all. (That's not to say the several states couldn't do whatever they wanted provided they didn't violate the 'bill of rights.')

The only argument I've heard in support of it is that it still covers the majority, fact is that doesn't matter this is not a democracy where the majority rules, it's a constitutional republic which means that the government represents everyone not just the majority which means everyone needs to be able to pledge allegiance to our republic fully and truthfully and right now they can't because to state those words goes against their beliefs which is one of the main freedoms our government is supposed to protect.

Well it is a bit silly isn’t it? When the pledge was introduced the US was supposed to be a country free of religion. Under god is an endorsement of a ridiculous concept that many Americans want nothing to do with.

It wasn't in there when I was a little kid but we got used to it. I know we have separation of church and state but not everything religious related has to be and issue. By the way I am not religious I am agnostic

And I am religious now I can see the cultural value of it in money and so forth but the pledge at it's very core is meant to cover all Americans and be how they show their loyalty that is somewhere even I don't think religion belongs because its forcing them to either admit to something they don't beleive in or not say the full pledge.

You have valid points. It seems nowadays there are so many angry people against religion that they take issue with it on everything. I may not be religious but I am accepting of it and as a ex-military person you know you never hear a soldier yelling Satan save me, so all I am saying is I think compromise is good but like everyone else I go with what the majority in a free democracy dictates.